India’s top badminton star, Lakshya Sen, kicked off his Japan Masters 2025 campaign on a high note in Kumamoto. The 23‑year‑old, seeded seventh and ranked 15th in the world, beat Japan’s local favourite Koki Watanabe in straight games, 21‑12, 21‑16. The match lasted 39 minutes, and Sen’s sharp footwork and tidy net play kept Watanabe off‑balance the whole time.
With the win, Lakshya moves into the second round of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event. He will next play the victor of the Singapore‑Canadian matchup between Jia Heng Jason Teh and World Championships bronze medalist Victor Lai. A quarter‑final spot is on the line.
The day did not look as rosy for the rest of the Indian squad. Kiran George lost a close first game, falling 20‑22, 10‑21 to Malaysia’s Jing Hong Kok. Rising star Ayush Shetty was defeated 16‑21, 11‑21 by fourth‑seeded Japanese Kodai Naraoka, who dominated with speed and accuracy.
India’s men’s singles roster also included H.S. Prannoy and Tharun Mannepalli, who were set to open their campaigns later in the day. In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde fought a tight 56‑minute match against the American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai. They saved four match points but eventually lost 12‑21, 21‑19, 20‑22.
India has no scheduled men’s doubles players, as Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy withdrew. The country’s only chance in mixed doubles remains the Gadde‑Kapoor pairing.
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